Nagzira tiger migrates to Umred-Karhandla sanctuary

NAGPUR: At a time when poaching has hogged all the limelight, there is report of a young male tiger from Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary nicknamed 'Jai', travelling around 120-130km to reach Paoni range of Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary.

"Presence of Jai in Paoni has been recorded for the last one month and it is frequently being sighted with a tigress. 'Jai' displaced a resident male towards Brahmapuri to occupy the territory. We have intensified patrolling," confirmed MS Reddy, in charge chief conservator of forests (CCF) & field director of Pench Tiger Reserve.

Jai and Viru, the two male tigers were born in 2010 to a tigress Mai, responsible for maintaining tiger population in Nagzira and had reproduced about five generations till now. While three-and-half-year-old Jai has migrated in search of a female, there is no trace of Viru.

"In 2012, similar monitoring by our group showed that a tiger from Nagzira had moved through Pench-Kanha. Jai's migration too has been scientifically proved as its stripe pattern matches with its latest and earlier pictures," says Sawan Bahekar, honorary wildlife warden of Gondia.

Both Jai and Viru were star attraction of Nagzira and were sighted last year by almost all the tourists. Jai has not been seen in Nagzira since July 2013. Paoni RFO claimed that a male tiger was regularly seen in Paoni since June.

Bahekar says Nagzira and New Nagzira wildlife sanctuaries have only two tigresses. According to observation, Mai, mother of Jai, and another female Alpha, is seen with three cubs.

Migration of Jai confirms corridor between Nagzira-Umred-Karhandla-Tadoba. The tiger probably travelled an aerial distance of around 75km through Nagzira, New Nagzira, Kisanpur, Kardi, Kesalwada and Koka. Later, it crossed national highway No. 6 between Bhandara and Sakoli followed by Vainganga river to reach Umred-Karhandla sanctuary's Paoni range in Bhandara district.

The path between this corridor is fragmented at several places with huge human settlements and agriculture fields. Tigers must be dispersing through this corridor regularly.

Leading NGO Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has already submitted a report to the forest department on corridors between Nagzira-Navegaon-Tadoba in 2011. Bahekar says his group monitored Jai since April 23, 2011.